Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Monday (September 21) named former India pacer Zaheer Khan as their new head coach for the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
Zaheer succeeded Stephen Fleming, who parted ways with the franchise after an incredibly successful 18-year association as a player and coach.
This appointment marks Zaheer's first stint as a head coach at any level. He mentored Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) during the 2025 season. Earlier, he was part of the Mumbai Indians (MI) support staff from 2018-22, serving as the Director of Cricket Operations before being promoted to head of global development.
In a video shared on his Instagram handle, former Indian opener Sadagoppan Ramesh weighed in on the appointment, noting that Zaheer's previous backroom experience was strictly restricted to management and advisory roles.
“Zaheer was a great cricketer and a fantastic bowler. But his only coaching experience has been working in the cricketing operations for MI from 2018 to 2022 and one year with LSG as mentor. However, this is the first time he’ll be the head coach of an IPL franchise. So we have to keep our fingers crossed,” Ramesh said.
He compared the strategic move to the formula used by the Gujarat Titans, who tasted immediate success by appointing Ashish Nehra in the same role. Nehra became the first Indian head coach to win an IPL title during their debut 2022 season and sustained that success by consistently guiding them to the playoffs.
“Finally, CSK have an Indian head coach for the first time. They’ve finally gone from a foreign coach mentality to an Indian coach mentality. I feel CSK saw the success of Ashish Nehra with GT and wanted to try something similar with the appointment of Zaheer Khan to see if it can spark a turnaround,” Ramesh remarked.
Zaheer Khan represented India in 92 Tests, 200 ODIs and 17 T20Is. He was the leading wicket-taker during the historic 2011 World Cup campaign with 21 scalps.
Speaking on his appointment, Zaheer was quoted as saying by CSK: "It's an honour to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of the IPL. As a cricketer, I have faced CSK on the field and have thoroughly enjoyed the contests. The atmosphere created by the Superfans at Chepauk make it even more special. I can't wait to join the legacy franchise with such a rich history."
Rupa Gurunath, owner of the team, welcomed Zaheer into the setup: "We are pleased to confirm Zaheer Khan as the Head Coach for Chennai Super Kings. Zaheer's distinguished playing career and proven ability to nurture young talent make him a valuable addition to our setup. We are confident that his guidance will help strengthen the core of this franchise."
CSK Managing Director KS Viswanathan added: “Zaheer is a world class bowler and has been a mentor to many young cricketers, especially fast bowlers, over the years. As a player, Zaheer was one of the key reasons for India's success in the 2000s. He's one of the finest cricketing brains and we look forward to having him in our family."
